Instagram, the End of Mediocrity and Competition
We are living in a new era —
—one that is both disrupted and redefined by the force of social media. Where once cut-throat competition and scarcity ruled our thinking, we are now witnessing a profound shift—one that is making room for excellence, collaboration, and a new standard of possibility.
Social media is a disruptor — yes. But not just for businesses, influencers, or individuals. It is a disruptor of human potential. For the first time in history, we have a real-time broadcast of what humans can achieve: unparalleled health, unimaginable wealth, globe-spanning travel, jaw-dropping beauty, and lifestyles we didn’t dare dream of in the past. Success is no longer a story written in books—it is seen and shared on screens, accessible to anyone with a smartphone. These new possibilities break through what we once considered the limits of achievement.
Mediocrity, as a default, simply no longer works.
But there’s something more important happening alongside this visibility. Social media is also ending competition. That sounds counterintuitive, but look closer. Take what I witnessed just today: LACMA shared a post and a “competitor”—the Hammer Museum—showed up in the comments, not as a rival, but as a friend.
It was a moment that revealed a bigger truth: the age of isolation and hoarding attention is over. Institutions, businesses, and people can now amplify each other.
Success doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game—it’s something that grows when shared.
This collaborative spirit has the potential to build bridges in places we never imagined. When museums support one another on Instagram, patrons can flow between them, discovering new art, new experiences, and deepening their connection to culture. The same is true for creators, entrepreneurs, and even everyday individuals. Social media allows us to see that lifting others up doesn’t threaten our success; it enhances it.
The shift doesn’t stop there. Social media also holds us to a higher standard when it comes to peace and reconciliation. In war zones across the world, everyday people—“commoners” with nothing but a phone—broadcast their lives, their fears, their tragedies. This isn’t curated content; it’s raw and real.
It’s no longer possible to hide violence or sweep suffering under the rug. The world is watching.
This shared witness to war and destruction makes violence unacceptable in a way it hasn’t been before. Social media’s visibility has created a collective call for peace, for nonviolence, for solutions.
So here we stand, on the edge of a new paradigm. Social media is disrupting competition, mediocrity, and even the systems that perpetuate violence. In their place, it offers connection, collaboration, and a new vision of what’s possible.
